Bogey Golfers Only (Index 16-22) / Breaking 90 Topic

[rkim291968]

You touched on another problem I think is big for bogey golfers - and specifically me.  I also don't carry driver.  When I picked the game back up a couple of years ago - I naturally pulled that driver on nearly every tee box like everyone else seemed to.  But it led to too much frustration and high scores.  I actually went irons only and my scores improved immediately. It was about then that I noticed it was not that hard to get on in 3 with irons.  And at that time, I probably wasn't getting any GIR's anyway.  I still only get a few.  So I wasn't really sacrificing as much as I thought.  Once my game became much more under control, I introduced a hybrid - which became my de facto driver - but still only used it when it was pretty open.  As I got better with the hybrid, I bought a 3-wood - which I now use on holes that are pretty open.  If not so open, hybrid.  And I still tee off with irons at times.

I hope to work driver back in soon.  But I'm not taking it back to the course until I can convince myself it actually saves more shots than it costs.  A good drive will save you between 0 and 1 shots on the given hole.  But a bad drive can cost you 1-3 strokes in a heartbeat.

That's a good strategy when starting out.  Not enough golfers do it.

[Meltdwhiskey]

That's a good strategy when starting out.  Not enough golfers do it.

Yeah, I see a lot of guys really kill their score with a driver.  But they don't want to go out there and hit irons.  Some would rather play all day for that one really nice drive than to break 100.

[rkim291968]

Maybe we read that differently - but I don't see this as a good option.  Unless you were just kidding - if so, please disregard everything else in this post.

If he is 10' from the split-rail and as close to the trees as the overhead seems to have him, the angle pushes you too far to the right.  A straight 155yd shot would put you out over the end of that fairway bunker and out in the desert.  It appears it would require a 50+ yard hook on it.

1. That's a Bubba shot.  I don't think that is a bogey golfer shot.  I don't think I'd green that shot with a large bucket of balls.

I looked at the picture and it looked doable.  Oddly enough, I can hit a really severe fade with irons as I have practiced it often.   But your are right.  It's not a bogey golfer shot for sure.  If I get it perfect, it may roll into green.  Otherwise, I am looking at bogey or worse.  Chipping it out would be a good choice.

[Dave2512]

Dave2512,

If you have played the Knolls, for the information of us bogey boys...

How do you as a single digit guy play #13?

Sorry can't help you, I've only played Knolls once since the 80's. Back then it was the only course there, was just called Adams County GC back in the day. After they built the Dunes they hacked what became the Knolls course up. The old club house was where the museum is now, I think #4 was the old #1 along the road there. I don't mind the Knolls it just doesn't work for me. I play a lot of 9 hole golf and after they hacked it up it's tough to get off the course at 9 because it's in the middle of the course.

Thanks for telling me it was the Knolls previously. It was driving me crazy . Like when you are trying to remember a song. You know you know it but the more you think about it the further away it gets until the brain starts working.

[CR McDivot]

Hint for Thorncreek #10 challenge...

OB is only OB if the ball lies there.

[Lihu]

In post 100, I can't figure out why the map does not look like it is from the same position as the photograph. In any case, if it is 155 yards away, I could put a 6 iron up about 25 yards and climbing from about 30 yards away setting up in the front of my stance. I think the tree in front would not present a problem. I did a similar shot when my drive went awry. The other alternative would be a punched 3i running low to the ground. My last alternative is to bump it onto the fairway.

[teamroper60]

Hint for Thorncreek #10 challenge...

OB is only OB if the ball lies there.

I get what you are saying and had thought about a wedge over the fence but without actually standing over the shot, I wasn't sure whether or not it was doable....

[rkim291968]

How many of us bogey golfers shape shots?   Fade, draw, or both?

I draw when it is absolutely required (usually from trouble spot to go around and get the ball back in play).

I can't fade intentionally .   They just happen when least expecting it.

[Meltdwhiskey]

How many of us bogey golfers shape shots?   Fade, draw, or both?

I draw when it is absolutely required (usually from trouble spot to go around and get the ball back in play).

I can't fade intentionally .   They just happen when least expecting it.

I attempt a 5-yard draw on almost every shot. I fight an over the top thing, so an attempt at draw helps mitigate it and actually hit it straight or in a best case scenario - hit a 5 yard draw.  When teeing off with a non-iron, I really try to hit one.  I am 'OK' at it.  Since I started using it, my tee shots have gotten much better.  It is really the only shot shape I even think about.  I kind of fear slicing and have grown to hate the feeling of hitting one.  On a the rare occurrence I feel it is absolutely necessary to hit one, I just drop the draw thought a little.

But I don't really try to use it to bend around things like you might be talking about.  Just more of how I get toward the green.  I don't often use a shape to go out around a tree and bring it back to the green or something like that.

[inthehole]

How many of us bogey golfers shape shots?   Fade, draw, or both?

I draw when it is absolutely required (usually from trouble spot to go around and get the ball back in play).

I can't fade intentionally .   They just happen when least expecting it.

I only do it off the tee & then only when the shot really calls for it.      It's so much fun when it works though & you shape it the way you actually planned on it  (MOST IMPORTANTLY ... always be sure & tell your buddies what you're about to attempt, so they can't say you just sliced it or hooked it & got lucky !!!)

[CR McDivot]

In post 100, I can't figure out why the map does not look like it is from the same position as the photograph...

The photo is a stock photo from the course, angle is from the center/right of the fairway. Yeah, the perspective from this can throw you off. The overhead though is spot on, those 50 foot trees are less than 30 feet ahead and directly blocking the green.

[CR McDivot]

I get what you are saying and had thought about a wedge over the fence but without actually standing over the shot, I wasn't sure whether or not it was doable....

A wedge over the fence to the left of that 50 foot tree 30 feet in front of you will put you in the creek or the adjacent driving range. But your beginning to think a lot like me.

[CR McDivot]

How many of us bogey golfers shape shots?   Fade, draw, or both?

All of us... some do it on purpose!

A full swing perfectly straight shot is actually most unusual for all levels of players, although more common with wedges.

[CR McDivot]

Thorncreek #10 Challenge Met

After considering very quickly nearly all the same options you gentlemen did, a light went off.

My stock shot is a fade, a seven iron will get up quick enough to clear the top rail and yet stay under the tree branches 8 feet above it.

Aim at the tree on the other side of the creek, open the face a hair, ball forward a bit, and trust nature to take her course.

Sweet medium fade, one bounce to the fringe and roll to 3 feet. Birdie clutched from the grasp of the bogey man.

My playing partner nearly fainted. I apologized to the ball for my bad thoughts about her...

and proceeded to coax her into a nice 270 yard baby draw from the next tee.

[rkim291968]

Thorncreek #10 Challenge Met

After considering very quickly nearly all the same options you gentlemen did, a light went off.

My stock shot is a fade, a seven iron will get up quick enough to clear the top rail and yet stay under the tree branches 8 feet above it.

Aim at the tree on the other side of the creek, open the face a hair, ball forward a bit, and trust nature to take her course.

Sweet medium fade, one bounce to the fringe and roll to 3 feet. Birdie clutched from the grasp of the bogey man.

My playing partner nearly fainted. I apologized to the ball for my bad thoughts about her...

and proceeded to coax her into a nice 270 yard baby draw from the next tee.

Chuckle.  You are sandbagging in thread for sure.   That wasn't a typical bogey golfer shot.   Somehow, I thought the ball was a little more to the right of where you hit.  Otherwise, I would have tried hitting left of them, most likely, with different result than yours.

[CR McDivot]

Chuckle.  You are sandbagging in thread for sure...

Nah, what I neglected to tell you is that I thinned the approach shot that came after the nice draw from the next tee... right into the native area separating me from the green. Doubled that one.

[JonMA1]

How many of us bogey golfers shape shots?   Fade, draw, or both?

I draw when it is absolutely required (usually from trouble spot to go around and get the ball back in play).

I can't fade intentionally .   They just happen when least expecting it.

Try as I might to draw the ball, the only right to left curve I get with my longs clubs is a pull off the tee. At least the effort to learn has reduced slices. Normally, the shots fly straight or they fade.

I have a question for you guys… Was there a smooth transition from when you started playing to where you are now? Or was there a point where you figured out a single key and your game suddenly improved?

[inthehole]

I have a question for you guys… Was there a smooth transition from when you started playing to where you are now? Or was there a point where you figured out a single key and your game suddenly improved?

for me, it was a gradual improvement over 3 years ... probably the biggest "a-ha" moment was forcing myself to not overswing - slow tempo back swing and coming down under control - letting the club do the work.    Especially with the driver - keeping it in play is PARAMOUNT - I can't afford myself even one OB shot off the tee per round so just making good contact without overswinging is the most important takeaway for my development to date.   Ball flies plenty far for me even with an easy swing off the driver ... gotta hit it solid though.

Actually, I lied ... if I were to give one "key" to my development is that coming to grips as to when and when NOT to hit driver - realizing that if it's a gamble to hit driver, just don't do it (REGARDLESS IF YOUR BUDDIES ARE HITTING DRIVER - have to play my game).    I play a lot of tight fairway mountain courses & play more long irons/hybrids off the tee than driver on average.     Getting confidence with those clubs off the tee has really helped me to getting my scores down.    Forces me to hit more 3 woods as a second shot if I'm on the fairway, which is becoming one of my favorite clubs (holy cow the 3 wood is one club I have to go really easy at - nothing good happens when I overswing that club - but it's a rocket launcher even with a smooth swing).